video , English , 8:48
Myles Bess, KQED Above the Noise, co-produced with Common Sense Education , 2022-04-06
A host-led explanation of recommendation feeds using TikTok and a computer-science interview. The older publication date makes it useful for comparing enduring mechanisms with changing platform features.
Watch or read for thisWhich part of the explanation is supported by an expert interview, and what current platform documentation would help test it?
Use it in a case
Create a paper feed from teacher-provided post cards. Change one engagement signal and explain why the next recommendations might change. Do not require students to reveal their personal feeds.
Make: A six-card feed map with two evidence-backed explanations.
Public PBS episode page. PBS lists CC and a transcript; playback and school-network access still need checking.
article , English
Federal Trade Commission , 2023-09
The FTC explains how advertising can blend into unboxings, influencer posts and games. Useful as evidence behind a classroom examination of creator recommendations.
Watch or read for thisWhat changes when a product appears in an ordinary-looking post instead of in a clearly marked ad?
Use it in a case
Students annotate three clearly fictional creator cards for product, sponsor, intended audience and evidence. Redesign one card so its advertising relationship is clear.
Make: An annotated ad card and a revised disclosure.
Public readable article; no video is claimed for this item.
case , English
PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs and MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network , 2022-11-17
A specific case with student handout and presenter notes about screenshots that impersonate people or organizations. It is not a channel or a generic collection.
Watch or read for thisWhich claim can the screenshot establish by itself, and which claim requires finding the original post?
Use it in a case
Use a fictional school-closing rumor in a group-chat frame. Students separate visual clues from actual corroboration, then write a correction that does not amplify the rumor.
Make: A source trail and a three-sentence group-chat correction.
Public case page. Some linked supporting documents use Google Docs. Video playback and captions were not verified.
video , English , 3:34
PBS News Student Reporting Labs student producers , 2026-01-13
Young Indigenous people in Virginia describe heritage through lived practices, art and community. It provides a current student-produced example for examining who gets to represent a community.
Watch or read for thisWhich details come from the young people themselves, and how do those details complicate a stereotype?
Use it in a case
Compare a broad category label with two precise self-descriptions from the story. Students may create a place or interest portrait instead of disclosing their own cultural identity.
Make: A representation checklist and a consent-based interview plan.
PBS labels the episode TV-G and CC and provides a transcript. Playback not tested.
video , English , 2:48
PBS News Student Reporting Labs student producers , 2026-07-20
A short student report about Hometown DC, an oral-history project centered on residents. It connects directly to the brand's DC and neighborhood interests.
Watch or read for thisHow would the story change if it used only tourist landmarks instead of residents' accounts?
Use it in a case
Storyboard a 45-second neighborhood portrait with one resident perspective, one verifiable local fact and one question still unanswered. Use drawn scenes if filming is unavailable.
Make: A six-panel storyboard with an interview-consent step.
Public PBS episode page, rated TV-G. The inspected page did not display a CC badge or transcript; do not promise captions until checked.
tiktok , English
Logically Facts (@logicallyfacts)
An actual TikTok post explaining why headlines circulated without context can mislead. The exact post ID was verified from its embed in TikTok's official newsroom page.
Watch or read for thisWhat missing detail would change a reasonable reader's interpretation of the headline?
Use it in a case
Reveal a headline, then its date, then a short teacher-written context card. Have students revise their first interpretation at each stage.
Make: A before-and-after claim note with one reason for the revision.
Exact URL and embedded caption verified; direct playback, date and captions were not verified. TikTok may be blocked or ask for an account. Use the source page and an original teacher-made headline exercise as the fallback. For under-13 learners, teacher-controlled viewing only.
video with case , English
MediaWise Teen Fact-Checking Network with PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
A specific teen fact-check of an imitation celebrity account. The linked case includes handouts and teacher notes.
Watch or read for thisWhich evidence establishes the account's identity independently of whether the face looks convincing?
Use it in a case
Build an identity-verification ladder: account description, original uploader, corroborating official account and independent reporting. Treat visual glitches as weak clues, never a reliable 2026 detection test.
Make: A verification ladder with confidence levels and an unresolved question.
Video URL verified from the PBS embed. YouTube playback/captions not tested. The case page can supply the source trail if playback fails.
video with case , English
MediaWise, PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
A specific explainer and case about checking environmental marketing claims. It offers a bridge from outfit content and shopping hauls to evidence-based consumer decisions.
Watch or read for thisWhat measurable evidence would support the exact environmental claim, and what does the claim leave out?
Use it in a case
Compare two dated claims from teacher-selected current product pages. Record the product, scope, evidence and missing information without declaring a brand deceptive on appearance alone.
Make: A claim-evidence table and a more precise rewritten label.
Exact YouTube embed verified on PBS; playback and captions not tested. PBS provides a case outline and student handout.
tiktok , English
Sophia Smith Galer (@sophiasmithgaler)
A named journalist's TikTok about using language and psychology to examine disinformation. Its caption identifies collaboration with TikTok UK, which is itself a useful disclosure discussion.
Watch or read for thisWhat is the difference between noticing persuasive wording and proving that a factual claim is false?
Use it in a case
Students annotate urgency, certainty and group-identity language in a fictional viral post, then write two neutral search queries to test its factual claim.
Make: An annotated post and a two-source verification plan.
Exact URL and caption verified through official newsroom HTML. Direct playback, date and captions not verified; use the newsroom page as a text fallback.
tiktok , English
Laurie Alyce (@lauriealyceadventures)
A history teacher's media-literacy TikTok with an explicit Ad label in the publisher-embedded caption. Useful for considering sponsored educational content without assuming sponsorship makes every claim false.
Watch or read for thisWhat does the Ad label tell us, and which questions about the video's evidence does it leave unanswered?
Use it in a case
Compare the embedded caption with the FTC disclosure guide. Students design a bilingual sponsorship disclosure and identify what must still be fact-checked.
Make: An English/Spanish disclosure card and two evidence questions.
URL and Ad caption verified from the official newsroom embed. Video playback, on-screen disclosure timing and captions not verified. Do not assign account creation.
fact check with documented media , Spanish
Maldita.es , 2026-04-08
A 2026 Spanish-language verification tracing a song falsely attributed to Rosalía to its uploader's own description and synthetic-content label. This is the fact-checker's original investigation, not the artist's release.
Watch or read for thisWhat does the uploader's own description establish that listening to the voice alone cannot?
Use it in a case
Students build a bilingual attribution card distinguishing named artist, uploader, stated use of AI and verification outcome. Trace the evidence before discussing whether the audio sounds convincing.
Make: A Spanish or English correction card with a source trail.
Public text includes evidence and an archived original-post link. Readable without playing the song. Do not reproduce lyrics or treat the imitation as an authentic Rosalía recording.
podcast episode on video page , English-language publisher description; audio language mix not independently checked , 8:39
On Our Minds hosts Zack and Helena, PBS News Student Reporting Labs , 2026-06-08
A teen-produced audio story about Calle Loíza, belonging and neighborhood change in San Juan. Its place-based framing fits the brand without turning Puerto Rican culture into decoration.
Watch or read for thisWhose account explains the street's changes, and whose perspective would you still need to understand the tradeoffs?
Use it in a case
Map residents, visitors, businesses and public officials, then separate reported facts, lived experiences and open questions. Students may investigate a familiar public place without sharing a home address.
Make: A stakeholder map and an interview plan with three different perspectives.
Public PBS player page, rated TV-G. The inspected page did not establish captions or a transcript. Check playback before assigning and provide a teacher-written scene summary if inaccessible.
original research report page , English
Common Sense Media research team , 2026-08-18
A current original survey report about teens' AI use for schoolwork. The page links the report and full questionnaire, making it useful for evaluating what a survey can actually establish.
Watch or read for thisDoes a self-reported survey result establish that AI caused a learning outcome, or only describe what respondents reported?
Use it in a case
Compare one headline with its denominator and exact questionnaire wording. Students draft a class AI-use agreement that separates permitted help, attribution and the thinking they must show.
Make: A claim audit and a one-page learning-process agreement.
Public summary with report and questionnaire links. No video is required for the proposed activity.
guidance with linked video , English; publisher announcement links an official Spanish edition
Federal Trade Commission staff , 2019-11
First-party guidance covering connections between brands and creators, including free products. Useful for student ambassadors, affiliate posts, campus promotions and sponsorships.
Watch or read for thisIf a creator received a free product, which part of that relationship would an audience need to know to evaluate the recommendation?
Use it in a case
Write a 20-second sponsored campus-event script in English or Spanish with a clear disclosure placed where the audience encounters the endorsement. Explain the choice using the guidance.
Make: A captioned script and a short disclosure rationale.
Public text and PDF. The official announcement verifies the related YouTube link; playback/captions unverified. This is source analysis, not a substitute for current institution-specific advice.
guidance with related video , English
Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education
Federal guidance for comparing aid offers and total costs. The embedded video is specifically about College Scorecard; it must not be mislabeled as a financial-aid-offer explainer.
Watch or read for thisWhich line items reduce the price, which must be earned or repaid, and which costs are missing from the headline award total?
Use it in a case
Compare two clearly fictional aid offers using the same time period and cost categories. Separate grants, work-study and loans and draft questions for a financial-aid office.
Make: A net-cost comparison with assumptions and three office questions.
Public article. Video title and embed URL verified; playback/captions unverified. Aid rules and school offers change, so live guidance should be checked when teaching.
guidance , English
Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education
Official guidance distinguishing the FAFSA Submission Summary, Student Aid Index and school aid offer. It supports a practical document-reading case without using anyone's private account.
Watch or read for thisWhich document estimates potential aid, and which document states the school-specific offer?
Use it in a case
Sort fictional document cards by purpose, sender and next action. Students explain why an SAI is not itself a bill and identify the office to contact for a changed circumstance.
Make: A document-to-action map.
Public guidance and annotated images; students should use mock documents rather than submit personal financial data. Recheck current guidance before use.
article , English
Federal Trade Commission , 2025-05
A specific FTC alert about fake job advertisements and recruiter messages aimed at college students. It connects verification skills to internship and summer-job searches.
Watch or read for thisHow could you verify the employer through a separately located official channel before sharing information or sending money?
Use it in a case
Annotate a fictional recruiter DM, distinguish red flags from proof and build a verification route that does not use the links or phone number supplied in the DM.
Make: A recruiter-message audit and a safe verification checklist.
Public readable article. No account or video required.
institutional policy page , English
American University Center for Student Involvement
A concrete campus example showing how organization money is managed and which groups receive activity-fee funds. It places fraternities and sororities within student-life structures rather than in a separate curriculum.
Watch or read for thisWhich organization controls the bank account, who submits requests, and which groups are excluded from this funding source?
Use it in a case
Map a fictional event purchase from idea to request to approval, then compare AU's public process with the learner's own institution. Do not assume the same rules apply everywhere.
Make: A funding-process map and a three-question campus research checklist.
Public explanatory page; the linked Engage management system requires AU access. Use the public page only and label AU-specific rules clearly.
institutional page , English
American University Center for Student Involvement
The university's description of student government's representative and policy role. Useful for teaching students to distinguish representation, advising, administration and final decision authority.
Watch or read for thisWhich powers are stated explicitly, and which final decision powers are not established by this page?
Use it in a case
Route three fictional campus issues to potential offices or representatives, mark uncertainty and identify the next governing document needed before promising an outcome.
Make: A campus decision map with a question for each unverified connection.
Public page. Treat it as AU's institutional account; it does not independently establish how effectively representation works in practice.
official guide , English and official Spanish translation
U.S. Department of Education Student Privacy Policy Office
A federal guide explaining the transfer of FERPA rights to eligible students. An official Spanish translation supports family communication and bilingual document reading.
Watch or read for thisWhat makes someone an eligible student, and where would you verify your institution's process for requesting records?
Use it in a case
Write a plain-language records-request question and identify the campus records office. Compare English and Spanish terminology without asking students to share an actual educational record.
Make: A bilingual terms card and a draft question to the appropriate office.
Public landing pages link downloadable guides. The inspected pages establish dates and scope; use the full guide and current campus procedure before teaching specific exceptions or applying it to a real dispute.
